MaxWell Capital Realty

The drywall installer was the quietest guy on the crew. He kept everything inside.

We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional Top Producers at MaxWell Capital Realty for May 2026! Your tireless dedication and passion for real estate inspire everyone around you. The results you deliver month after month speak for themselves, and we could not be prouder. Wishing you continued success and well-deserved recognition! 🎉

“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.” – Louisa May Alcott

If you’re looking to de-stress, reclaiming your personal space can be a great way to reset your routine and make a fresh start. It’s also a good opportunity to clear out clutter. Even small changes can reduce your stress and help spaces feel easier to live and work in. Here are some ways to get started:

At home
- Start small by decluttering one area at a time, focusing on surfaces you see every day like counters, tables and couches.
- Gather items you rarely use into a box and revisit it after a few months to decide what to keep, donate or sell.
- Reduce paper clutter by switching to paperless billing where possible.
Improve air quality by changing furnace or air conditioning filters as needed and keeping indoor humidity below 50 per cent.

In your car
- Keep a small garbage bag handy to prevent clutter from building up.
- Vacuum seasonally and remove salt or gravel from floor mats.
- Clean dashboards and doors with a cloth and warm water instead of chemical cleaners.
- Avoid air fresheners or deodorizing products that can irritate your airways.

At work
- Keep only the items you use every day on your desk.
- Clear papers and unnecessary items at the end of each day and keep a recycling bin nearby.
- Organize documents into folders and store them in a drawer close to your workspace.
- Adjust your setup for comfort by keeping your monitor at eye level and your keyboard properly positioned.

Small changes can help you refresh your spaces. Find more tips and resources at cooperators.ca.

www.newscanada.ca

“May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel alive.” – Fennel Hudson

Did you know that, according to Public Safety Canada, flooding is the most common natural disaster in Canada? It’s also the most costly. There are simple steps you can take to better protect your home when water rises.

Here are some tips from the prevention team at Intact Insurance:
Outside your home: It’s all about managing drainage. Any rain that falls on your home needs to be able to flow away freely. Check the grading around your home and make sure that it slopes downward away from your foundation for at least six feet. Your downspouts also need to empty out the same distance away. Otherwise, water can sit against the foundation and weaken it over time. If it’s safe, clear nearby storm drains of debris, and clean your own eavestroughs regularly.

Inside your home: Indoor flood management comes down to two main things:
- Staying aware: Install flood alarms in your basement, near plumbing pipes or near appliances, and check them regularly to ensure they are in working order. Set up a regular schedule to check your pipes and plumbing fixtures for leaks. One trick is to dry off a set of pipes and put paper towel or printer paper under them for at least 12 hours to check for drips. Make sure to store any valuables in your home, or hazards like oil containers, at least 30 centimetres above the floor.
- Checking your equipment: Consider installing a backwater valve and sump pump if you don’t already have them. Even if you don’t have a basement, floodwater can still accumulate in the crawlspace and damage your foundation. Set up a schedule to clean out your flood drain and backwater valve and test the sump pump twice a year.

By making sure they have the right equipment inside and proper drainage outside, Canadian households can be much better prepared for flooding risk. You can learn more about protecting your home from flood and water damage at keepitintact.ca.

www.newscanada.ca

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” – James Cash Penney